ID :
64575
Sun, 06/07/2009 - 14:57
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Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/64575
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Going paperless to raise environmental awareness in Abu Dhabi
The Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) along with 12 other government institutions went paperless on Thursday to mark World Environment Day.
Gayathri Raghwa, Specialist Programme developer for Environment Education at EAD, told Gulf News that the idea is to take steps towards an office of the future with reduced paper use, in the UAE and worldwide.
"The most important aspect for us to take this event to a higher level is support from public and private organisations in the country and most importantly the public," she said.
The aim is to reduce paper usage as much as possible. Also by consciously deterring use of paper employees will understand the amount of wastage we do on a daily basis without pausing to think about it, she explained.
"It wouldn't be an absolutely paperless day…work has to go on. So all external communications like LPOs, cheques, important government letters etc will be on paper as usual. But use will be curtailed to the least possible".
"We first collected the baseline data on average daily paper consumption in all these institutions. Then in each floors of these offices we designated a person as a ‘point of contact' for paper. Today, whoever needs to print will have to mail this person citing the reason why paper is required. No paper will be available in printers/copiers. This will end thoughtless wasting."
"The reason to choose paper was because it is one of the world’s major polluting industry and the largest contributor to Green House Gases. Estimates who about 900 million trees are cut down annually to make paper", she said.
Studies by the US Environmental protection authority show that record keeping accounts for 90 percent of office activity, 80 percent of filed documents are never referenced back and that 45 percent of printed material are discarded the same day.
"For a low paper consumption office to work it is important to adopt technology that can help hold employees accountable for the paper they use while ensuring smooth flow of work."
The twelve participating organisations are BP, Shell, Masdar, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, Family Development Foundation, Abu Dhabi Department of Transport, ADGAS, GASCO, Standard Chartered Bank, ALDAR, Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority and Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council.
Last year, EAD successfully implement a paperless day at ADGAS. ADGAS not only successfully observed the day but rolled out a series of changes to help reduce paper consumption in its facilities.
10 tips
- Minimise and conserve paper by planning work carefully. Did you know that 1 ream of paper = 6 per cent of a tree = 12 pounds of Co2 and 17 reams of paper = 1 tree.
- Invest in printers that print on both sides n Use scanners instead of copying machines.
- Send electronic faxes instead of paper faxes.
- Store information electronically instead of in filing cabinets.
- Give friends, clients or vendors information on CDs or through email attachments instead of in bound folders.
- Do double-sided photocopying.
- Reduce the number of newspapers delivered to your home or workplace. Read the newspaper online.
- Train your employees to use the photocopier and printer properly so that paper is not wasted.
- Conduct a monthly paper audit to determine the kind and volume of paper that is being wasted and set a target to reduce the volume wasted the following month. Source: EAD – Gulf News
Gayathri Raghwa, Specialist Programme developer for Environment Education at EAD, told Gulf News that the idea is to take steps towards an office of the future with reduced paper use, in the UAE and worldwide.
"The most important aspect for us to take this event to a higher level is support from public and private organisations in the country and most importantly the public," she said.
The aim is to reduce paper usage as much as possible. Also by consciously deterring use of paper employees will understand the amount of wastage we do on a daily basis without pausing to think about it, she explained.
"It wouldn't be an absolutely paperless day…work has to go on. So all external communications like LPOs, cheques, important government letters etc will be on paper as usual. But use will be curtailed to the least possible".
"We first collected the baseline data on average daily paper consumption in all these institutions. Then in each floors of these offices we designated a person as a ‘point of contact' for paper. Today, whoever needs to print will have to mail this person citing the reason why paper is required. No paper will be available in printers/copiers. This will end thoughtless wasting."
"The reason to choose paper was because it is one of the world’s major polluting industry and the largest contributor to Green House Gases. Estimates who about 900 million trees are cut down annually to make paper", she said.
Studies by the US Environmental protection authority show that record keeping accounts for 90 percent of office activity, 80 percent of filed documents are never referenced back and that 45 percent of printed material are discarded the same day.
"For a low paper consumption office to work it is important to adopt technology that can help hold employees accountable for the paper they use while ensuring smooth flow of work."
The twelve participating organisations are BP, Shell, Masdar, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, Family Development Foundation, Abu Dhabi Department of Transport, ADGAS, GASCO, Standard Chartered Bank, ALDAR, Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority and Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council.
Last year, EAD successfully implement a paperless day at ADGAS. ADGAS not only successfully observed the day but rolled out a series of changes to help reduce paper consumption in its facilities.
10 tips
- Minimise and conserve paper by planning work carefully. Did you know that 1 ream of paper = 6 per cent of a tree = 12 pounds of Co2 and 17 reams of paper = 1 tree.
- Invest in printers that print on both sides n Use scanners instead of copying machines.
- Send electronic faxes instead of paper faxes.
- Store information electronically instead of in filing cabinets.
- Give friends, clients or vendors information on CDs or through email attachments instead of in bound folders.
- Do double-sided photocopying.
- Reduce the number of newspapers delivered to your home or workplace. Read the newspaper online.
- Train your employees to use the photocopier and printer properly so that paper is not wasted.
- Conduct a monthly paper audit to determine the kind and volume of paper that is being wasted and set a target to reduce the volume wasted the following month. Source: EAD – Gulf News
